Kalispell Flathead, Bozeman remain atop Class AA wrestling polls

Billings Senior's Matthew Dewitt has his hand raised after winning the 120-lb. title at the Tom LeProwse Wrestling Invitational in Bozeman. (ALEC BOFINGER / MTN Sports)

BUTTE – The Class AA wrestling coaches voted defending state champion Kalispell Flathead as the No. 1 program in the league this week. The polls were released on Wednesday.

Flathead, guided by Jeff Thompson, boasts the top-ranked wrestler at 182 pounds in Tucker Nadeau. Last year’s third-place finisher is regarded as one of the top wrestlers, regardless of class, this season.

The Braves are a mainstay in the individual rankings, with 14 grapplers ranked in every weight class but two. Flathead also has a pair of athletes ranked at 113 (Bryce Shaffer and Tilynne Vasquez), 160 (Payton Hume and Garrett Rieke) and 285 (Alex Paull and Michael Lee).

After winning the prestigious Tom LeProwse over the weekend, Bozeman is the No. 2 team, according to coaches. The Hawks are led by top-ranked individuals Chance McLane (145) and Leif Schroeder (126).

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Billings Senior, Butte, Billings Skyview and Great Falls High round out the team rankings.

Other top-ranked individuals include defending heavyweight champion Jeff Queer of Butte. Last year’s runner-up Levi Malcolm is No. 2 at 285 pounds. Charlie Klepps, who chases his fourth straight state title, holds strong for Billings Senior at 132 pounds. His teammates Alejandro Madrid and Matthew DeWitt are top-ranked at 103 and 120, respectively. Billings West’s Jace Rhodes holds the edge over Bozeman’s Keegan Mulhill at 152 pounds, while Jordan Komac of Great Falls High is No. 1 at 160.

The Capital City has a pair of top-ranked wrestlers in Helena High’s Isaac Romero (113) and Seth Jensen (205).

The complete list of ranked teams and individual wrestlers can be found below.

After spending two years in Tucson, Ariz., Richie Melby returned to Montana as the sports director at KTVH in 2016. After 18 months on the anchor desk, Richie has transitioned into a digital-first role with www.montanasports.com. He is a Hi-line native and has a strong relationship with Montanans and enjoys telling the stories of local athletes, coaches and teams.